By No Means, Strangers
by mckee11223
Summary: 15 years ago, young Judy Hopps was an aspiring cop, and teen Nick Wilde was already conning on the streets. Now, they're friends and co-workers, but after telling stories, they realize that they are, by no means, strangers. Sometimes, the biggest changes come after the smallest disagreements.
1. Prologue

"Come right up, folks! Try your chances!" A lone fox stood at an intersection, trying in vain to grab any passerby's attention. An elephant trumpeted in his face and continued on his way.

Still, the slick smile didn't leave the fox's face. He leaned against the corner wall, almost lazily, and tried again.

"Try your chances! Only 2 dollars!"

Absentmindedly, he rearranged the cups on his stand over and over, flipping them expertly. A tiny panda dragged her father over to watch him, and squealed in excitement.

The fox smirked and leaned down towards the little cub. He held out a small, colourful stone, and the panda cooed. The father just looked concerned, and kept an eye sternly on the fox.

"Hey, little girl. If you can find this stone," He feigned putting the stone under a cup and slid it onto the stand, "you can keep it. Sounds cool?"

The little panda nodded eagerly, and the fox began moving the cups around, very slowly, careful to keep the stone hidden in his palm. When he stopped, the panda immediately lifted up a cup, only to find it empty.

The fox put a hand into his pocket, seemingly bored, and slipped the stone in.

The panda began whimpering, and the fox's eyes grew wide. "No, no, no, don't cry, don't cry," He tried desperately. The father was already looking around for police. "Um, no, don't cry, see?" He pulled a coin out from behind the panda's ear, but she just screamed and cried harder than ever.

"Hey!" Came a small voice. A tiny bunny wearing a police costume marched up to him, hands on hips. The fox tried not to let his amusement show on his face, and just continued to lean against the wall.

"Is there a problem, officer?" His voice came off as a drawl.

The bunny's nose was quivering, which he took to mean anger or nervousness. She took the little panda's hand and glared at him. "Were you mean to her?" She accused.

The fox put his hands up in defence. "Whoa, whoa, little bunny. What's a cute little thing like you doing here?" He chuckled.

Her nose twitched. "Don't call me cute."

He tapped her on the nose. "Well, you can't deny what you are, and what you are is c–" She stuck her ears in his face, ripped out a page from her notebook, scribbled on it, and taped it carefully to his stand. She stood up, straightened her plastic badge, dusted off her vest, and turned up her nose.

"Good day, sir," She finished, and walked away purposely. She broke into a skip soon, though, and caught up with an older rabbit who looked like her mother. The little bunny chatted happily, her eyes bright, while the mother just looked wary of the fox.

He took a look at the piece of paper. She had written, in very messy handwriting, "Fine: 1 milion $$, for scareing a panda."

The fox rolled his eyes, crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it away, and set up the stand again. The day's not over yet.


	2. Chapter 1

Fifteen years later…

"And he never got to finish the donut!" Clawhauser finished, nearly dropping his flashlight for emphasis. Chief Bogo muttered something about "the real definition of scary" and took a long swig of coffee. Nick yawned and rolled his eyes, and Judy elbowed him in the ribs. She clapped politely.

"Clawhauser, that was wonderful. It was so nice of you to share your story with us. We should _appreciate_ that you took your time to tell it to us," Judy continued, giving dirty glares to both Nick and Chief Bogo. They were both suddenly very interested in their coffee cups.

Clawhauser beemed. "Thanks! I made it up myself, you know. Can you believe that it's a true story? It truly chills me to the spots."

"Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!" Nick said, waving his paw in the air. Judy's ears flopped, and she pushed them back up again. She took a huge breath, put her paws on her hips, and forced a smile onto her face.

"Sure, Nick, go ahead," She managed through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, well," He leaned back into the couch, "have I got a story for you."

Judy nearly groaned out loud, but Nick stuffed a donut into her mouth. She pulled it out indignantly, took a huge bite, and plopped back down onto her chair.

"So, I was only 17 or so, and a _mighty_ handsome fox at the time, if I do say so myself, and I just moved to Zootopia central. One day, I was just there, running a fun-filled, trivial, _completely_ chance based game – "

"Right. Not rigged. Got it," Judy commented, and clicked on the carrot pen.

"It was _not_ rigged. Anyways, one day, this panda and her dad walk over, and well, depressing story short, she loses. And she starts crying. I mean, it's not like I haven't dealt with crying children before, well, I don't deal with them every day, but I'm not an expert or anything… The point is, this stupid little bunny strides up to me," He made little paw walking motions, "wearing a home-made police uniform. It was completely ridiculous.

"Then, she gives me a _ticket_ for one million dollars for 'scaring a panda'. She spelled it wrong and everything. Then, she walks off, looking all cute and proud. I swear, that was one of the most amusing days of my career."

Nick finished, and looked around at the mammals in the break room. Clawhauser was trying not to burst from excess cuteness.

Judy raised an eyebrow and put down the donut. "That reminds me of a story…"

Chief Bogo checked his non-existent watch. "Break ends in 10 minutes."

Nick waved him off. "We have 11 minutes and 13 seconds. Let the bunny cop finish her story."

Judy's tail bristled, but she didn't say anything. "Well, remember when I was 9, and I had a school play? I told you about the play, right?"

Nick nodded.

"Right. So, after the play, my mother needed to buy some prizes for the fair, so she took me along to a shop in Zootopia. That was my first time in this city. Somehow, it seems even brighter and more amazing now than before.

"We were just about to reach the store when I see this sleazy fox standing at the street corner, conning and scaring a little girl. Mom, of course, just wants to leave, but I was brave enough to go up and confront the fox!

"And then he called me cute."

Everyone winced at once. "Oh. Ouch."

"So naturally, I ticket him, right? Because he obviously didn't have a vendor's permit, or a stand permit, he was obstructing consumer traffic, and he scared that poor kid half to death. She was crying so hard!

"I leave, and mom rushes me away. I think we went into the wrong store on purpose, just so she could spy on him and teach me how to use fox repellent.

"The entire time, all I could think about was, wow. My cheek hurts. Carrot salves do not work, I can tell you that."

She finished talking, took a satisfied breath, and sat up straight. The room was dead silent. She slowly turned to look at Nick.

Chief Bogo leaned over to Clawhauser. "I give it three seconds," He whispered.

1… 2… 3…


	3. Chapter 2

"IT WAS YOU!" They shouted in unison.

"You called me a sleazy con!"

"You called me a stupid, ridiculous bunny!"

"Oh, so I was just a _scary fox,_ right? Just a fox?"

"You called me cute!"

Clawhauser tried to separate the two. It looked like they were ready to tear each other's throats out. "Guy, guys! Calm down! It was just a story!"

"STAY OUT OF IT!"

The cheetah backed up slowly, hands out in front of him. Nick's overturned coffee cup lay sideways on the table, coffee dripping to the ground.

"Okay, break's over! Let's get back to patrol!" Chief Bogo tried, but was immediately drowned out by the heated argument.

"I had a vendor's permit! I've had one since I was six!"

"Why in the world would you need a permit when you're six?"

"You just won't understand, will you? I was _working,_ Judy. That word should sound foreign to you. I was working to help my mother. You obviously never needed to, just hopped around all day, eating carrots on your little farm. You never had to decide between rent, food, or bus fare! You never got ticketed for trying to run a lemonade stand!"

"They ticketed you for a lemonade stand? They never ticketed me."

"You were literally raised in a barn! Bunnyburrow is in the middle of nowhere! Plus, _consider your biology_. It's not like they'd ever blame a bunny."

"Are you saying that I'm a helpless innocent bunny? That's not why they didn't ticket me! I followed the rules!"

Chief Bogo tapped his wrist. "Break ends in –"

"NOT NOW!" They both screamed.

"Oh, and I didn't? So I'm just a sly trickster no matter what I do? Because I'm a fox?"

"Well," Judy tried, her nose twitching furiously, "we're not just dumb victims!"

"But _we're_ just hardened criminals from birth now, right? Who's _we_? There's a _we_ now?"

"I didn't mean it like that! I meant mammals in Zootopia!"

"Did you mean that? No, no you didn't. I know you too well, Judy. Yes, there's a we. And yes, you _believe_ that there's a we. Well, I meant it too, okay? We, as in foxes. Predators. Still. Still, after all this, after all that's happened, you still don't trust me. You didn't argue against _any_ of the things I said about foxes; you were too busy defending your species to care whether or not anything's changed. You only care about yourself, about proving that bunnies can be strong. Well, guess what? They –"

"Nick, calm down. You can't seriously blame me for this. You called me ridiculous and stupid for wanting to be a cop!"

"No, I didn't! You still don't listen! I thought a little defenceless bunny marching up to a proven con man is ridiculous and stupid! I would never insult you! But what's the point of justifying myself if you're not going to believe me?"

At that, Nick straightened his tie, put on his sunglasses, and walked out of the break room with a scowl on his face. The coffee was still dripping rhythmically onto the floor.

"I'll… get a mop…" Clawhauser murmured, and snuck out of the room rather inelegantly.

"Yeah. I'll help him," Chief Bogo said, and ducked out after him.

Judy stood with a shocked expression on her face. "I…"

 **Welp. This was supposed to be a one-shot.**

 **Guess that's shot. Stay tuned for more chapters, being posted sporadically.**


	4. Chapter 3

Dejected and wondering how Nick could be so unfair, Judy picked up the carrot pen. It stopped recording a long time ago. She clicked it on. It played back from the earliest recordings.

"I make 200 bucks a day, Fluff. 365 days a year, since I was _12_." _Delete_.

"I really am just a dumb bunny." _Delete_.

"And I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way." _Upload to USB drive for evidence._

"'Aww, you know you love me.' 'Do I know that? Yes, yes I do.'" She didn't even know he recorded that. Her finger hovered over the delete button. Shying away from the pen, she uploaded it to her Mp3.

She sighed. She was about to put it away when she pressed the play button again by accident. It started from the middle of their argument.

"'I meant mammals in Zootopia!' 'Did you mean that? No, no you didn't. I know you too well, Judy. Ye –'" _He called me Judy. Why would he call me Judy? He never calls me Judy. Did – did I really make him hate me that much?_

Clawhauser took that moment to poke his head in with a mop, saw Judy sitting in Nick's spot with a blank stare at the carrot pen, and slowly backed out of the room.

* * *

"Finnick, catch," Nick said, and tossed Finnick a purse. The small fox peered inside and nearly dropped it in shock. He pulled out three wallets and jewel-studded watch.

"What, you raiding the evidence lockers again?" He tried, but Nick waved him off.

"Pickpocketing."

"I thought you went straight!"

"Yeah. I thought so too. Under the condition that someone out there isn't so prejudiced and patronizing. Turns out, I was wrong. You were right. I'm not a cop."

The fox was back to his casual attire: green shirt, purple tie, and slacks. His sunglasses perched on his head, and his police badge gave his breast pocket a strange bulge.

"Then take off the badge and prove it," Finnick retorted, secretly hoping he would come to his senses.

Without hesitation, Nick took off the badge and threw it on the ground. His face was completely devoid of emotion.

"Wha –" Now Finnick was concerned. It's not like he _approved_ of Nick being a cop, but he just turned the heat on him and left stolen goods in his possession. And it wasn't for money. If it was for money, he would've taken the watch to their pawn shop. Stealing for anything _other_ than money was what worried him.

Nick spun on his heel and walked away again, hands in pockets.

"Where are you going?" Finnick yelled.

"Out. Watch the news."

* * *

"Crime rates are skyrocketing in Zootopia after traditionally 'untrustworthy' animals, mainly foxes, were spotted in many major areas committing acts of theft and vandalism. Citizens of Zootopia are encouraged to report any incidents to the ZPD, and to keep valuables at home. For more tips on avoiding theft, visit the ZPD website at…"

Clawhauser listened anxiously to his radio, trying to ignore the periodic bursts of static. Chief Bogo stomped up to him and demanded, "Where are Officer Hopps and Wilde?"

Clawhauser shushed him and pointed at the radio. The announcer was rattling off a list of affected areas now. "Judy… She's on parking duty. She insisted. I haven't seen Nick for 3 days, ever since this started. "

The door suddenly burst open. The two ZPD officers spun around, only to see a pint-sized fox, barely able to hold the heavy door open.

"I need help," Finnick gasped.


	5. Chapter 4

The three animals surrounded a table in the break room. Finnick was explaining something urgently, and Clawhauser was nodding ridiculously fast in agreement.

Chief Bogo leaned back. "I have to admit. I did not expect that from Officer Wilde. But I do suppose it's up his alley. He's got the guts for it."

Finnick's ears perked up. "So you'll do it? You and the ZPD?"

He leafed through a packet that Finnick had given him, studied a couple others, and passed one to Clawhauser. Bogo sighed. "I can't believe you talked me into this. I'll see what I can do."

Finnick raised a foot. "WHY is the floor sticky?"

* * *

Judy had a goal for the first time in days.

"1955 Cypress Grove Lane…" She muttered, checking the street signs constantly. She took another glance at the tax form, though the number was already seared into her memory.

Still, she swore that she was going in the wrong direction. She was walking deeper and deeper into one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Sahara Central. She stopped in front of a white house with rows of planted flowers.

She checked the tax form again. Nope. This was it.

Of course, there was always the possibility that Nick lied on the form, but then again. He doesn't lie any more than necessary.

She walked up to the door and was about to know when she noticed a large sign. It said:

"A sly, sneaky fox lives in this house. Come in only if you wish to be robbed and/or conned."

"Hmm." She knocked on the door and nearly hit an exiting raccoon. He adjusted his glasses and looked at her, seemingly about to smile, but glanced at the packet of paper in his arms and frowned instead.

She walked in the door slowly, keeping an eye on the raccoon.

She found Nick sitting at a desk in the centre of the living room, thumbing through a book. He had set up some sort of workstation, and it was piled high with papers. A huge cabinet stood near him, with sticky notes stuck to the individual drawers. To her horror, she saw what looked like purse straps and wallets hanging out.

"Species?" He said, without looking up.

"Um, Nick?" Judy ventured.

He immediately slammed the book shut and shoved his stacks of paper under the table. He coughed and assumed a poker face.

"Aren't you scared of me?" He asks, angling his ears towards her.

She flinched. "Maybe the better question is, what is in that cabinet? Do you have possession of stolen goods?"

He seemed indifferent. "Yes. I'm simply being a fox."

"What?"

"I'm a sneaky, conniving fox. I am untrustworthy and a predator. Prey animals are scared of me," He replied in a monotone.

"Nick, what are you talking about?"

He blinked. "Isn't that how everyone sees foxes?"

"But that's just the stereotype! You're not like that!"

He shrugged. "Well, we're also not very emotional."

A group of lemmings walked in through a smaller door carved into the main door. Nick waved her out the door. She noticed that he had some sort of mark on his palm, but couldn't get a closer look before the door closed in her face.

Ears drooping, Judy left, but not before promising that she'll get to the bottom of this.

Walking back towards her apartment, noticed signs on a lot of doors. They were all similar to the one on Nick's: "An innocent, timid lamb lives in this house. I'm always scared and I hate wolves," or the ones on businesses, like the one on the Lemmings Brothers building: "Proudly staffed by suicidal lemmings. Proudly staffed by suicidal lemmings. Proudly staffed by suicidal lemmings. Proudly staffed by –"

She stopped a passing hippo. "Excuse me, miss, but do you know why these signs are on doors?"

The hippo glanced at the door and her eyes lit up. "Why ask me? I'm just a –" She looks at her arm, "fat lady hippo that wishes to seduce you. Strike a pose." She paused. "Wait. Sorry. That's an action," she murmured. She struck a pose and batted her eyelashes.

Thoroughly confused, Judy began to turn away, when her ears suddenly shot up. She turned towards the source of the sound and found a weasel snatching a buff sheep's gym bag. They look at each other for a moment, and the weasel stuck a piece of paper in the sheep's hand. He looked at it for a second and started crying.

Judy sprinted over and knelt beside the sheep. "Waa! Waa!" He shouted robotically. Mammals were beginning to stare. "I am a dainty, weak sheep! I am a victim! My bag has been stolen! Somebody who is stronger, help! Please!"

Judy glanced around in confusion. He does realize that he's taller than half the elephants around, right?

The weasel stopped just around the corner. "I am a mischievous weasel! I'm a villain that just stole that sheep's bag, and will do it again willingly!"

A hyena beside him slapped him. "How dare you, Robert? I thought you were a good kid!"

The weasel shrugged, waved, and raced off with the bag in the direction Judy just came from.

As soon as the weasel was gone, the sheep dusted his wool off, put the piece of paper in his pocket, and continued on his way without shedding another tear. He waved at Judy, and again, she noticed the mark, but the sheep walked away before she could ask about it.

Back at her apartment, Judy tried to write a report on today's tickets, but kept failing. Her mind kept wandering back to the bizarre behaviours she saw today. Trying to clear her head, she opened the window, but there was another one of those signs just across the street. She closed the blinds again.

Frowning, she turned on the news.

"The crime spree is continuing in all parts of Zootopia," Peter Moosebridge was saying. Judy's ears perked up. He was her favourite newscaster.

"However, since I am a slow, dim-witted moose, I will turn this segment over to my co-host, Regina." He handed the microphone over to the snow leopard, who looked stunned.

Judy blinked rapidly. Did he really just say that? Again, she noticed the mark on his hand. Growing tired of it, she whipped out her phone and took a picture. She zoomed in and saw that they were letters. "CoB…" She whispered.

Regina was continuing with the broadcast now, but Judy could see her glancing at the cameramen. She heard whispering the background and the screen kept shaking. This was not planned.

She wanted to tear her fur out in frustration. "Has the whole city gone MAD?"

 **Very sorry if you couldn't access this chapter. Uploading's been glitching, so I'm trying to deal with that.**


	6. Chapter 5

Judy went back to the work the next day after 3 tall glasses of Acacia juice. She was dead tired; she barely got any sleep.

She was so tired that she didn't notice Clawhauser (cheetah) in exercise garb, doing jumping jacks.

She was so tired that she didn't notice Officer Francine (elephant) sprouting digits of Pi.

She was so tired that she didn't notice Officer Fangmeyer (wolf), who had painted his entire chest red and wore huge fake fangs.

However, she _did_ notice when Chief Bogo walked into the briefing room and immediately fixated on the red curtain behind her.

And didn't move for 10 minutes.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Sir, shouldn't we start the briefing?" She quipped.

His eyes refocused, but latched onto the fake blood on Anderson's chest.

Judy banged her head against the desk.

"Sir? We really need to get to work. Our assignments?" Her foot was tapping like crazy now. _This is more annoying than the DMV!_

"Hmm? Oh, right. Sorry. As a cape buffalo, I was just distracted by the, ah, colour red." He raised his hand in apology, and she could see that same CoB mark on his palm. She was going to ask about it when he finally started rattling off job assignments.

"Officers Humps, Higgins…"

Judy zoned out. All she could think about was the mark. Is this a cult? A movement? Another serum attack?

"… Officers Hopps, Wilde and Francine, check on the Little Rodentia branch. Dismissed."

Judy raised her hand. "Officer Wilde isn't present, sir."

Chief Bogo turned around. "Oh? Is that so? Figures. He's just an untrustworthy fox." He got distracted by the red curtain again.

That was the last straw. Judy jumped up on the desk and looked the chief eye to eye. "You listen to me. Nick is a wonderful, smart, caring friend and officer, and even though he's a fox, that shouldn't change anyone's opinion on him, especially not his own! And one last thing: YOU ARE COLOURBLIND."

Satisfied, she hopped off the desk, grabbed her hat, slapped it on her head, and stomped out.

* * *

She arrived at the Little Rodentia branch with great difficulty.

First she ran into a gang of wolf cubs barely taller than her knee that tried to rob her.

Then, traffic was blocked off for half an hour because a sloth was crossing the street.

Then, on the subway (after ditching her car in the traffic jam), an overly excited otter nearly talked her ear off.

She met Francine there, debated a bit over how _wise_ it was to send an elephant into a rodent city, and ventured in.

Here's the thing: Francine loves mice. She loves everything small and cuddly and furry. She's been to Little Rodentia multiple times, and makes friends with everyone around her.

Which does not explain why she suddenly started screaming at the sight of the Captain.

Captain Ren squeaked and shouted into her intercom as Francine trashed around in a panic, inexplicably not squashing anything or anyone. Within minutes, the public safety department was evacuated.

"Whoa! Whoa, clam down, Francine! Francine! You love mice! CALM DOWN!" Judy screamed, but Francine either didn't hear it or chose to ignore it, and continued to stomp around urgently.

Angry now, at whatever's overcome the city, Judy helped with the evacuations. When they were sure everyone was safe from the elephant, Captain Ren and Judy saluted each other.

All that while Francine kept screaming about how she's scared of mice.

When Judy and Francine finally got back to the ZPD, they'd both calmed down and so had the rodents. Judy slumped inside and grabbed a carrot from the fridge. She sat down to eat and Clawhauser joined her at their usual table.

"So," He asked, "how did the check-in go?" His breath came out in short puffs, and he looked positively red. He held a carrot in his hand too, and was eating it, but Judy could see him eyeing the box of donuts on the counter.

"Oh. Err. Francine got scared by the mice," Judy said as she poked at her carrot.

Clawhauser took a huge bite of his. "Well," He replied thoughtfully while chewing, "she's an elephant. Aren't they supposed to scared of mice?"

Judy groaned. "She loves mice! This whole thing is ridiculous! The entire city is crazy!" She stared at Clawhauser. "And what are you supposed to be? No. Wait. Let me guess. You're a cheetah, and you love exercise and running."

His eyes grew wide and he nodded. "Yeah! Did you read my pamphlet?"

 _Pamphlet?_ "Uh, no. I mean, I might have. I'm not sure. Could you describe it to me so I know that's what I read?" She attempted, trying to channel her inner Nick.

He blinked. "It's a pamphlet."

"Right, right," She said, pretending to be embarrassed. "You see, I thought I heard you say – oh you're gone."

Clawhauser was gravitating towards the donuts the entire time, but he snapped out of it and ran out of the room, panting heavily.

Judy snapped the carrot in half and chomped on it so hard she bit her tongue.

 **Let me thank all my reviewers, guest or users, and everyone who PM'd me or returned my PM's! You guys are awesome, and you're offering the best tips and constructive critisism. I love how this story's review section isn't like the others; there aren't any "Update please!" reviews, only thoughtful ones that contribute to and shape the story.**

 **Special thanks to user P4Nd0RaS for their comments! You're all helping to make the story better!  
**


	7. Chapter 6

On the way home, Judy ran into another strange crime: an elderly raccoon spraying graffiti on a truck. She growled and pulled at her ears, but gave up and hid behind a bush.

As she watched, the raccoon attached a spray can to his cane, climbed up on a park bench, and sprayed a very elegant design on a truck.

It took Judy a while to figure out what it said, but she realized it was a larger version of the CoB tag.

When he was done, the raccoon fished a piece of paper from his pocket and attached it to the windshield.

Then he walked away, step _tap_ step _tap,_ humming all the while.

Judy raced over, heart pounding, nose twitching. She dashed across an empty parking lot and jumped acrobatically over another car and landed just in front of the truck. She tore the piece of paper from the windshield and read it.

Consider our Biology!

Please excuse this inconvenience during this mass protest as we seek to change stereotypes.

You can find your stolen item and/or appropriate compensation at 1955 Cypress Lane.

We kindly ask that you do not report this to authorities or journalists in support of our peaceful protest.

Thank you!

 _What?_ She read the note again. Then, quietly, she tucked it back on the windshield and walked away.

Judy had a new goal: Get Robbed.

She spent the rest of the evening wandering around the Tundratown marketplace. She managed to ignore the fishy smell as she tried to find an "untrustworthy" animal.

Finally, she saw a wolf.

Bad news: He didn't have the mark.

She sighed and kept trying.

By the time her stomach was growling and the artificially cool sun was setting, she'd found ZERO animals willing to rob her.

She sat down on a park bench and ate a fruit salad. _Maybe I should've tried Little Rodentia. I heard the tourism's great. They have lots of rats. Rats are untrustworthy, right?_

She reached for her backpack, and realized that it wasn't there anymore. Stunned, mostly by the Arctic fox cub screaming about her villainous qualities, she almost didn't catch the little slip of paper about to float into the wind.

She grabbed it and read it over. It said the same thing as the other piece.

Her face broke out in a grin.

Bingo.

Two words: Ticket, and Excuse.


	8. Chapter 7

Judy nearly went crazy waiting till the morning. After convincing herself that Nick wasn't _that_ nocturnal, she laid down on the rickety bed. Her foot kept tapping rapidly against the bedframe, and her eyes just wouldn't close. She practically sprang up and hit the ceiling when her family video-called her.

"Hey, Judy!" Her mom said sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and pushed two of Judy's baby brothers away. "How was your day?"

They chatted for a few minutes, and Judy's smile just grew wider and wider. She could practically feel the impatience melting away. Oh, she loved her family!

Her little brother poked his face into the screen and made a face. Bonnie laughed and tousled his ears. "Wendell says hi!"

"Hi!" Judy waved back and ended the call.

She flopped back on the bed and sighed. It's been months since she's been in Bunnyburrow. Will anything have changed? How old are her siblings now? Have Rodrick and Lucy had their second litter yet?

"SHUT UP OVER THERE!" Her neighbour called. "SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"YOU SHUT UP! YOU'RE GOING TO WAKE THE WHOLE BUILDING!" His roommate shouted back.

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

"BOTH OF YOU, BE QUIET!" Judy pounded at the wall. The room went quiet.

 _Finally,_ Judy thought. _Sleep._

* * *

5:30.

Judy slapped her alarm clock, dressed quickly, grabbed her Carrot phone and earbuds, and headed out.

Not to work, but to a certain fox's home.

She reached Nick's neighbourhood without much incident. Still, she was around to witness several "crimes," though it was obvious they were all in gest, and mammals were enjoying themselves acting out of sorts.

She rapped on the door.

The tip of Finnick's ears appeared in the side window.

"Finnick, it's Judy. Open up."

Finnick opened the door a crack. She could see his baseball bat poking out.

"A little bit more, please."

He threw it open fully, sending a huge crash that went echoing through the room.

He dusted off his hands and walked back in purposely.

Judy stuck a tentative head in. An armadillo was inside, looking at the cabinet. Her eyes lit up as she recognized her backpack.

Nick was sitting at attention in his desk, explaining to a bear what she needed to do. Judy was speechless. He looked so focused, so determined. His hands kept waving as he tried to imitate a growl, but his eyes were kind.

As soon as the bear left, holding a package of paper close to her chest, Judy skipped inside, happy for the first time in days. Her tail fluffed as she grabbed her backpack and leaned against the desk.

"So, are you a good Samaritan or what?" She teased, whacking Nick in the head with her bag. He bolted upright instantly and snatched his shades.

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm bad, right, Finnick? Rotten to the core?"

The armadillo chuckled quietly without turning around.

Finnick nodded once, and stayed silent. The fennec sat in a beanbag, which barely sagged under his weight.

Her smile dropped near instantly. Judy slapped the slip of paper on Nick's desk. "Explain this."

He threw his hands up in defence. "Um… I run a lost and found?"

Judy stomped around the desk and stood before the fox. He started to back up, but Judy tackled him.

And wrapped him in a huge hug.

Over Nick's shoulder, she saw that Finnick's eyes grew wide and he was trying hard not to laugh. He buried his muzzle into the beanbag, but his ears were craned her way.

Meanwhile, Nick was just paralyzed.

The armadillo grabbed his wallet, laid his slip of paper down on the table, and quietly slinked away.

Nick gently detangled himself from Judy. "What's all this?" He laughed.

"You, you fox," She said, punching him on the arm. "You made me think you were some kind of – of crime boss!"

"Well, that's not too far from the truth now, is it, Carrots?" He smirked and put on his sunglasses.

She rolled her eyes, but her smile was radiant. "Nick, what you're doing, it's wonderful. And I – just –" Her eyes were sparkling. She held out her hand.

"What's this now?"

"I want in."

Nick smiled and threw up his arms. "Hallelujah! I was waiting for you to ask! Finnick nearly blew it. Twice." He glared at the fox, who was obviously still listening. "Let me just get you set up."

Nick jumped on a rolling chair and slid over to the workstation. He rummaged around in the papers a bit. "Ah, see? There aren't that many bunnies in Zootopia, but I'm pretty sure I have one… Kept it in a safe place that's hidden from me… Here!" He held up a small stack of paper and stuck it Judy's arms. "Hold out your paw."

Juggling her backpack and the stack of loose papers, she held out her paw. Nick turned it over and stamped something on her palm. She brought her paw closer and saw a CoB tag, still wet.

"There! You're set. Just imagine the headlines!" He picked up a stapler (that Judy was just going to use) and pretended it was a microphone. "Zootopia's hero cop, Judy Hopps, just an innocent, timid bunny!"

"Glad to see you didn't write cute…" Judy muttered, skimming through the package. She dropped her backpack and snatched the stapler away from Nick.

The doorbell rang again, and Finnick jumped up from the beanbag and strode towards the door.

Nick read over Judy's shoulder. "Wow. I forgot I even wrote this. 'Rabbits are, by nature, timid and shy. They are most active at dawn and dusk.' Sounds kind of stalker-ish, now that I think about it."

"Timid, huh?" Judy speedily polished her badge to a shine. She clicked her tongue and shoved the stack of paper into her backpack. Her violet eyes narrowed evilly. "I'll show you _timid._ "


	9. Chapter 8

"Officers Hopps, McHorn, Fangmeyer, Tundratown brawl at Icicle and Cod. Dismissed."

Judy's head poked up from the desk slowly, her eyes widened in fear. Her nose twitched furiously, and her ears were bent.

"Are – are you sure? I mean, I am just a timid bunny. I – I – I can't _possibly_ handle a fight!" She stammered, and hid behind her desk.

McHorn picked her up by the scruff and dragged her after him, completely emotionless, seemingly oblivious to her protests.

The chief waved them out with the hand with the tag, and Judy raised hers in salute.

They got there to find a gang of arctic wolves battling. They bared their teeth, and claws were out. Immediately, Judy realized that this wasn't a protest fight. This was the real thing.

 _I don't know the protocol for this! What am I supposed to do if this isn't part of the protest?_ Of course, her package had said, "Afraid of all predators, in particular foxes… Do not engage in or attempt to stop any fights…"

She looked instinctively towards Nick for guidance, and felt a pang in her chest when she remembered he wasn't there.

She looked back and saw that Fangmeyer had jumped into the fray, and McHorn was trying to wrestle them apart individually.

Bystanders weren't just standing around, though. One polar bear rushed forward, nobly, and managed to wrestle several weapons away from the wolves.

 _Wait. Being a bunny doesn't mean I_ can't _fight, it just means I have to fight_ timidly.

An idea sparked in her eyes.

She suddenly started screaming and started running in circles. "HELP! HELP! HELP! I'M HURT! HELP, SOMEBODY! HELP ME! I'M JUST A DEFENCE LITTLE RABBIT! PLEASE HELP!"

Her shrill voice hurt even her own ears, so she knew it would hurt the wolves' sensitive ears.

Before long, her throat was hoarse, but it did the job. Several of the wolves have already fled, tails between legs, paws over ears. The rest, Officer Fangmeyer and McHorn did a great job of cuffing and arresting.

Fangmeyer leaned in for a fist bump, but Judy twisted nimbly away and started crying about the horrible predators.

She fled into an alley, and wiped her tears clean. Happily, she took the onion out of her pocket and bounced it in her hand.

Then, she went to her parked squad car and drove back to the precinct.

She did give Fangmeyer that fist bump later, though. She's shy, not rude.

…

She strode into Nick's house easily. He kept a spare key buried under the second daisy from the right.

"You sly fox!" She bursts out. "You never told me what to do if it's a _real_ fight!"

Nick paused mid-bite, a sandwich suspended in the air. He put the sandwich down and fetched Finnick a cup of water. He'd nearly choked to death on a cracker.

"Well, here. Let me see," He began counting down fingers, "I told you what to do if, 1. There's a fight, 2. There's a real violent situation, and 3. Who and what to fear. Am I missing anything?"

She stomped her foot. "You weren't there to help! When are you coming back to work?"

"Why?" He mumbled, mouth full of bread, "Did someone ask about me?"

"Um, yeah. Chief Bogo's been wondering where you are," Judy lied.

Nick scoffed. "Tell Chief Buffalo-Butt that I'm digging a grave. That'll spark his interest. Besides, shouldn't he be distracted by anything that's red?"

Judy shuffled her feet a bit. "Sure... But seriously, Nick, when's this going to be over? When are you coming back?"

Finnick raised a paw. Judy huffed and waited patiently for him to take a drink.

"Lil' Nicky here's got a speech conference tomorrow," He said. Nick and Judy's eyes widened simultaneously.

"I have a WHAT?"

"He has a WHAT?"

"A _press_ conference. Happy?"

The two animals looked at each other in alarm.

Nick began pacing around. "I didn't prepare anything. You never told me anything about this! I need to get ready, I – WAIT a minute. How do _you_ know that?"

Finnick shrugged. "Dunno. You pick up on stuff when you're supposed to be mute. Oh, right. And I may or may not have forged your signature when they asked you to do a speech 'in honor of the most influential protest in Zootopia history.' Blech."

Nick glared at the fennec, then apparently decided it wasn't worth it, and continued pacing. His tail traced circles on the dusty floor.

"Nick, Nick, calm down. Remember? Answer their questions with your own?" Judy smiled toothily.

Nick pulled at his fur. "Speeches aren't that simple! I mean, I have to write it, I have to practice…" He started muttering menacingly to himself.

Judy gave Finnick a look that said, I blame you. The little fox shrugged again, wearing a bemused expression. He chomped on another cracker and walked off.

"Relax," Judy soothed. "It's not a big deal."

He snapped. "You're right. It's not a big deal. Because I can't make a difference. We're just a small group, deluding ourselves into thinking that things will be better later on! When this is all over, who will remember? Huh? Who will remember _anything_ besides how happy they were, doing what biology intended for us? If anything, this whole thing will just make prejudice stronger, make mammals revert back to our 'primitive' selves. Who am I kidding? _Nothing ever gets better._ "

Judy's smile fell. Instead, it was replaced by cold, calm fury. "Nick?" She said sweetly.

She stepped in front of him and hopped on a small stool. She reached over and gripped him tight by the collar, and stared at him, eye to eye.

"You listen to me. People will remember. The only delusional one is you, thinking that one fox can't make a difference. Well, you can. I would stake my career on it, that's how much I trust you. And if you think you can't? Go out there. Make that speech. And see how many people show up to watch you change the way we think."

The demonic expression faded, and she smiled sweetly again. "Now, let's see about writing that speech, shall we?"


	10. Chapter 9

**You can assume it's been just over a month since the protest started fully. Okay. Onwards!**

"I am so nervous. I've never been this nervous before. It feels like the whole world is watching us! What if you mess up? My paw is trembling. Is that bad? What if you forget your words? What if you drop the cue cards? What if –"

"Relax, Carrots. I've got this. Calm down. Be cool. It's fine. And if they ask anything, I know what to do." Nick straightened his tie and brushed back his fur. He straightened Judy's hat and dusted off her uniform.

"It's time," a runner told them, and ducked away.

Nick began to walk towards the podium, but stopped. He turned around. "You should be up there with me."

Judy smiled. "I didn't do anything."

"Without you, none of this would've happened. C'mon." He extended a paw, and Judy took it.

As soon as they walked on to the podium, Nick's entire posture changed. He went from tired to suave in a rabbit's heartbeat, shoulders straight, chin up. Judy had to admit; now she understood why all the females at the precinct loved him.

The microphone crackled and sent a burst of static through the crowd. There: she saw through the façade and for just a moment, that ever-present doubt showed through.

He cleared his throat, looked down at the cue card, and up again. A huge crowd had gathered for the event, many of them carrying signs. Reporters and journalists crowded the front, and cameras flashed nonstop.

"Citizens of Zootopia, my name is Nick Wilde," He began. "Recently, a new movement has begun. It is with great happiness – No. No. I can't do this." He burst out laughing. He looked down at the cue card again, then proceeded to tear it up.

"I brought a speech with me today, but there's really no point in reading it, right?"

Shocked and confused whispers came from the crowd. He grinned and hooked his arm over Judy's shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Sure, we were all given a script. From birth. We were told to act, think, and behave one way, to never deviate. Well, isn't that what we've all been fighting?

Consider our biology.

Sure, we have limits.

Sure, we weren't all created equally.

We may be small, big, timid or bold, but at the end of the day, we're all mammals.

We all make mistakes.

No one ever gets it on their first run.

I'm not here to preach about equality. That's a job for Officer Hopps here. No, I'm here to tell you that –" He paused, searching for the right word, "that you are yourself. I'm not the villain, not because of this protest, not because I'm a fox. Stereotypes are.

This protest has shown you, that if we all behave exactly how we're expected to, the city won't and can't function.

Consider our biology.

Sure, sloths run the DMV, beavers do construction, and lemmings are bankers, but what about everyone else?"

He gestured towards a little section that's been roped off for smaller animals. "Remember, when that elephant came trampling in to Little Rodentia?"

Whispers, snickers and one embarrassed trumpet came from the audience.

"Yeah. Yeah. She's a great friend of mice, but since elephants are supposed to be scared of mice, she should be too, right?

Problem is, she potentially endangered an entire town and incited a scurry.

Now, imagine this happening ten-fold, all across Zootopia. How would we live? How can we survive in this city?"

He finished triumphantly and passed the microphone to Judy. Her ears flew up in surprise, but she still took it. She took a deep breath and began.

"Hi. I'm Officer Hopps, ZPD. I, um, I didn't do much, to tell you the truth. I only caught on to this halfway through.

For the first few days, I was so frustrated. There was crime everywhere, my co-workers were unbearably annoying, and of course, I was back to being a dumb bunny.

But, I joined. And I embraced it. And I knew, then, that mammals around me, no longer see just a dumb bunny. They see me as a police officer, someone that can help, and make the world a better place.

I hope that this time, you saw all your friends and family in a new light, and to stop judging everyone, just because of how they look, and what species they are!"

Nick swiped the microphone from her. "Hey!" She shouted, and raised a paw for the microphone back. He held it just out of her reach.

"This is what you call timid, people," He remarked.

She grumbled and crossed her arms, but realized that he wasn't done talking yet.

"Dumb bunny, valedictorian of her class," He announced, and pulled Judy's police badge out of his pocket.

Her paw flew up to her chest, but it wasn't there anymore.

Stepping over, he pinned the badge to her shirt, the shiny metal glinting in the morning light.

Shyly, Judy took out a badge too. Not just any badge, but Nick's.

"Sly fox, good cop through and through," She said, and pinned it to his chest.

His tail fluffed up in pride, and he stood up tall. He and Judy linked paws and held them high in the air.

"Consider our biology! We are mammals. We are strong. And together, we are Zootopia!" They shouted.

There was a brief pause, and then the crowd repeated their cry and cheered.

Shakily, Judy dragged Nick off the stage by the tie, listening to the roar of the crowd.

"That went great! But did you really memorize the speech and rip up the cue cards just to add that script bit?"

He shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"

She laughed and smoothed out her ears. She was still shaking from nervousness. "I should've known. I should've considered _your_ biology."

"What can I say? Sly fox, aren't I?" He held up her badge again.

"Hey!" She snatched it back. She realized that her hat was gone.

Nick began walking away, twirling it on his finger.

"NICK!"


	11. Chapter 10

"While crime rates are higher than ever in Zootopia due to the recent 'Consider our Biology!' protest, civilian assists are also more common," Peter Moosebridge was saying. "More and more ordinary mammals are helping ZPD officers apprehend criminals, and trust of our public safety department can't be better. Everyone, I applaud you for your outstanding courage and bravery in helping make the world a better place."

Judy turned off the news. She glanced over at Nick, who was still staring at the blank screen in shock.

"So, you can't make a difference, huh? Just a small group, huh? _No one will remember,_ huh?" She teased.

"You be quiet!" Nick said. "Anyone can get on the news! It's not a big deal!" He crossed his arms, but Judy could tell he was proud.

"Of course it wasn't. Back when they still thought you were some kind of evil mastermind, you were on the news _quite a bit._ "

"Why, you –" He lunged for the rabbit, but the doorbell rang, startling them both. He tumbled off the couch and landed on the floor, flat on his face. Judy stepped over him and answered the door. A possum stood at it, wringing his hands.

"I need your help," He rasped, his voice like rough sandpaper.

"Why, but I'm just a timid, shy bunny," Judy said innocently, placing her paw strategically over her badge.

The possum was having none of it. "Don't give me whole 'dumb bunny' gospel. I need a pair of well-trained police officers. Are you going to help me or not?" He hissed.

Nick strode over and rested his elbow on Judy's head. "Nicholas Wilde and Judy Hopps, ZPD. Pleased to be of service." He smirked.

They shook on it.

 **The End**


End file.
